Monday, August 10, 2009

Sunday evening sparked one of the greatest games of basketball ever played in the Greater NC Pro-Am Basketball League. Forty minutes of outstanding performances from both Team PJ Tucker and Team Navy created this extremely fast-paced contest. Neither team took any time to warm up at the start of the game where both forcefully went after the competition. Mike Bell, along with Derrick Wiley, Raymond Felton, PJ Tucker, and Hayward Fain all held their own as they slammed every dunk, ran after every loose ball, and gave their best effort to score every basket. Each contributed greatly both offensively and defensively, however in the second half, it was all Raymond Felton who matched up against the amazing John Wall of Team Navy, and took control on the offensive end that allowed Team PJ Tucker to dominate for most of the game. After Team PJ Tucker began to extend their lead (reaching to 20 in the third quarter), John Wall single-handedly brought Team Navy back into the ball game. He finished with a total of 39 points that included amazing three’s from the outside perimeter, countless perfect dunks, and many drives through the lane to the basket. With help from Jawad Williams and Charles Ward, Team Navy was able to make a fierce comeback, however, the chemistry and consistency of Team PJ Tucker was too much to handle. In the end, #4 Team PJ Tucker won the CHAMPIONSHIP game with a final score of 126-111. This team, although beginning the summer really shaky by losing their first four games, was able to storm through the final weeks, winning their last 9! Team PJ Tucker definitely had amazing talent and teamwork that helped them sail through to the very end and finish as champions! Mike Bell of Team PJ Tucker was named the Tournament MVP, Andre McCollum of Team Navy the Regular Season MVP, and Hayward Fain of Team Duhon received the Sportsmanship Award!

On behalf of the S.J.G. Great NC Pro-Am Summer Basketball League, I thank you for all of your support! With the dedication from the staff and sponsors, we hope to continue to bring incredible talent to Durham again next summer! Get ready; it’ll be even bigger and better! See you there!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Game 2 of the semifinals saw #Lucky 7 meet #3 Team Navy. This was arguably one of the best games of the entire NC Pro-Am Summer Basketball league where there was incredible athleticism on display! There was an amazing showcase of talent between Team Navy’s John Wall, Jerry Stackhouse, and Andre McCollum and Lucky 7’s Courtney Fells, JamesOn Curry, and Josh Powell. Courtney Fells (36 points) showed off his astounding shooting skills as he shot and made three’s from downtown. Meanwhile, Josh Powell (29 points) took over the lane as he drove through defenders straight to the basket. JamesOn Curry controlled the tempo of the game for his team as he ran down the court, shook up defenders, and either passed the ball for a perfect assist, or shot and made his 16 points. Lucky 7 had a pretty distant lead early in the game, but Team Navy definitely had a furious comeback. John Wall (32 points), undeniably the fastest player on the court, was flawless down under the basket, as well as outside on the perimeter. And with Andre McCollum’s 24 points from his amazing shooting, Team Navy was able to take the lead for the first time with 6 minutes left. They stayed ahead for the remainder of the game, and after a nice shot off the glass from Charles Ward and a reverse breakaway slam from Jerry Stackhouse, Team Navy pulled away with the victory, 116-108. They advance to the championship to face Team PJ Tucker!

As the semifinals heated up, #1 Team Duhon took on #4 Team PJ Tucker, and what an exciting game it turned out to be! Both teams hit the court with extreme energy and hustle as each player drove and dived for each lose ball and each rebound. Mason Plumlee (26 points) had a beautiful one hand scoop down the lane, combined with an up and under spin move that really got the crowd into the game. A couple of plays later, Hayward Fain (28 points) drove down the lane, passed the ball behind him to Anthony Greenup (29 points) who went in for the forceful dunk. Team Duhon was beginning to pull away late in the first half and were up by 12 at half time; however it wasn’t long until Team PJ Tucker stormed back. Derrick Wiley (27 points) had a great one-hand slam through the ring, while PJ Tucker (24 points) showed off his great ball-handling skills, and Mike Bell (25 points) controlled the paint. Team PJ Tucker closed the gap on Team Duhon, and even gained their own lead, by as much as 8 in the fourth quarter. Team Duhon seemed to lose their control, and many shots were forced, however everyone could tell that both teams really wanted this victory in order to advance to the championship. However, in the end, after a big steal from Mike Bell and some made free throws, Team PJ Tucker sealed the deal with a final score of 110-104. Team PJ Tucker beat the #1 team and advance to the championship to face Team Navy!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

In the last game of the quarterfinals, #1 Team Duhon took on #8 Dreamworks. It began with a slow first quarter where both teams took their time getting into a rhythm. However, Mason Plumlee Team Duhon, was dominant in the post with forceful dunks and strong rebounds. He also showed his shooting skills as he stepped back for a beautiful three pointer. South Carolina’s new freshman all star, Lakeem Jackson, showed off his moves as he drove through the lane to make perfect layups and dunks. On the other side, Brian Zoubek was great in the inside lane, while Reggie Bullock and Andrew Partridge handled the outside perimeter. Kinston High’s Darnell Matthews also had very nice three-pointers at perfect times that really kept Dreamworks in at moments when Team Duhon seemed to be controlling the game. Nonetheless, Team Duhon was able to pull away slowly, and with a couple of late baskets, they gained the win with a final score of 69-60. Team Duhon goes on to play the #4 seed, Team PJ Tucker, on Saturday at 3pm!

What started as a blow-out remained so throughout the entire third game. Team E-Net was lacking everything but presence beneath thanks to Jawad Williams, in his second game of the night, and Jabyron Wilson. It was Miles Plumlee who was the stand-out player for team E-net, establishing his presence in the building. But with Lucky 7’s all-star cast, the victory was easily attained. JamesOn Curry was an all-around player offensively reigning deep threes and following-up under the basket. Josh Powell covered down low with frequent rejections and slams, while Courtney Fells captivated the outside perimeter with help from Jose Frias’ ball-handling skills, allowing for a clean sweep. Final score, 73-57. Lucky 7 goes on to play #3 seed, Team Navy, in the semifinals on Saturday at 4:30 pm!

Game 2 of the tournament quarter-finals proved to be a fierce competition. The game remained fairly close throughout with WR Starkey displaying excellent team work. Reggie Bullock was a key offensive contributor, controlling the ball both inside and outside of the paint. Offensive help from Victor Holloway with Jerry Stackhouse, Ryan Kelly, and Olek Czyz as a triple threat under the basket allowed for a solid team. But by the end of the second half, team Navy managed to pull away. Power moves from Charles Ward, Jawad Williams, and Rashawn Page down low generated great crowd response and Bo Ingram did an excellent job handling the ball and taking it down the court. But it was undoubtedly John Wall that was the star of this show. He served as a multi-purpose player running the ball, following up under the basket and executing a jaw-dropping flying one-hand slam and backhand crossover. Despite the fact that it became a one-point ball game within the last minute, with this combination of unbeatable sportsmanship, Team Navy was able to steal the win, 71-67. They go on to play the #2 seed, Lucky 7 on Saturday at 4:30 pm.

In the first game of the tournament, #4 Team PJ Tucker took on #5 Hendricks of Durham. NC State’s CJ Williams of Team PJ Tucker was on fire once again as he dropped 22 points, and combined with PJ Tucker’s 23 points of top-notch professional moves, Team PJ Tucker had a five point lead going into the second half. However, it wasn’t long before Hendricks got a nice rhythm and they started to pull ahead in the third quarter, thanks to Derrick Wiley, Cedric Williams, and James Crowder’s amazing offensive contributions. They had 25, 19, and 14 points respectively. Team PJ Tucker and Hendricks were all tied up going into the fourth quarter, however Team PJ Tucker got their original chemistry back and the ball began to fall into the basket. They quickly gained control and spread the lead to 13 in the fourth quarter. In the end, Team PJ Tucker obtained the victory with a score of 86-72. They go on to play the #1 seed, Team Duhon, on Saturday at 3 pm!

Friday, August 7, 2009

In the final game of the regular season, GBMS found some new additions to their team: high school star John Wall and Duke’s Olek Czyz came to help out Raymond Felton and the Eagle’s from N.C Central. John Wall was incredible has he took over the offensive end with a whopping 35 points! He had a couple of dominating drives through the lane and he added a few outside three’s to his resume. Raymond Felton’s role as the main assister really allowed GBMS to thrive offensively. E-Net’s Miles Plumlee showed off his skills as he had an open court slam and soared through the air to complete the play and then had a nice pull up on the next. E-Net’s Jawad Williams had easy jump shots after nice veteran pump fakes. In the end, after a close game, E-Net pulled away in the final minutes to win the game with a score of 80-73. Unfortunately, God Bless My Success, ended their regular season with a record of 0-10. However, they played great basketball and really worked hard this summer. E-Net will continue on the tournament as the seventh seed, playing #2 Lucky 7.

Opposite the last game, game 3 was a fairly close one. This star-studded event proved to be a crowd pleaser. During the first half of the game, team Hendricks captivated the lead, thanks to Derrick Wiley’s hard drives to the basket and Casey Peters’ points from downtown. Miles Plumlee announced his presence with authority with repeated dunks and rejections and James Crowder’s key pull-up jumper allowed team Hendricks to stay in the game. However, during the second half, team Lucky 7 took the lead and ran with it. Courtney Fells displayed his long range with frequent deep 3’s, assisted by JamesOn Curry’s excellent skill taking the ball down the court. Josh Powell was in control inside the perimeter, with help from Simon Harris under the basket, showing off his professional dunking talent. With such great team work, Lucky 7 slowly but surely pulled away the victory, 76-69.

What began as a blow-out remained so throughout the entire second game. Team PJ Tucker’s CJ Williams found his rhythm from beginning to end, leading in assists, and serving as the go-to man under the basket. Jarrett Johnson and Dupree Hall also displayed their skill down low, both sealing the deal with grand slams. Team Navy’s Jawad Williams of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Charles Ward both carried their team in the paint and outside the perimeter in hopes of redeeming themselves from such a large trailing margin, but their attempts proved not good enough to control Team PJ Tucker. At the half, Team PJ Tucker was up by almost 20 points and the margin narrowed by only a little by the end of the game. Tucker’s Tyree Graham showed excellent ball-handling skills, ultimately helping to lead his team to a win, 84-72.

In the final night of the regular season, Team Duhon once again played with amazing chemistry that allowed the team to sail through. Dreamworks had a considerable amount of talent on their team including, UNC’s Justin Watts, Duke’s Olek Czyz and Brian Zoubek, and high school sensation Reggie Bullock. However, they didn’t play as well together as Team Duhon where a lot of offensive rebounds went unnoticed and passes were incomplete. Nonetheless, Dreamworks played some great basketball and had some really amazing offensive plays. Justin Watts had a great elevation demonstration on both ends of the court where he had a powerful two-hand slam and then turned around and had a forceful rejection! Team Duhon’s Victor Holloway and Rasheed Wright contributed greatly to the scoreboard, however each of Team Duhon’s 12 players present put points on the board, showing their amazing teamwork and ability to play…and WIN, together. Team Duhon won the game 73-54 and are the first seed going into the tournament on Friday August 7th. You’ll see Dreamworks there too as the eight seed.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

In the final game of the night, Lucky 7 was star-studded with LA Laker’s Josh Powell, NC State’s Courtney Fells, and Oklahoma State’s alum JamesOn Curry. Fells had 28 points and was dominant on the outside perimeter, in the paint, and on defense. Powell definitely helped his team out tremendously with 23 points of his own, including a couple of effortless spin moves complete with the fade-away jumper. Curry proved helpful as he was able to power through Dreamworks’ tough defense as he drove to the basket for 14 points of his own. However despite all of this star power, Dreamworks‘ freshly made team definitely held their own as they kept it a close game throughout its entirety with strong plays from Ricardo Marsh, James Crowder, and Chris Hill. Marsh served as the big man who was able to spin and shuffle around Lucky 7’s defenders to make his 16 points. Crowder shot and made countless three pointers as he constantly hustled around defenders to the open position. Meanwhile, in one play, Hill showed off his acrobatic skills as he was in the act of falling, but still managed to get the ball up and into the basket. With Dreamworks’ down by three in the final seconds, Will Bunton had a chance to tie the game, and although it looked as if he was fouled, no whistle was blown, and in the end, Lucky 7 walked away with the 78-75 victory.

With a constant lead throughout game 3, Team Hendricks was able to display the talents of many of its players. GBMS made a valiant effort to pull away with the win, but the offensive contributions from CJ Wilkerson and Nick Chasten, paired with David Bests’ defensive action down low were not enough to earn a victory. Casey Peters was the lead offensive contributor for Team Hendricks displaying his elevation and ball-handling, Cedric Williams had a huge play with a big 3 from up top, and James Crowder was the team’s go-to man under the basket. But it was Matt Sossamon who surprised to crowd leading as the follow-up man for the team with frequent dunks and points in the paint. With such a multifaceted team, Hendricks was able to steal the win, score 66-45.

The second game was a blowout from start to finish. With immediate domination by WR Starkey, Team KG barely scored in the first quarter. Excellent ball handling by Tyree Graham along with help down low from Ryan Kelly, made it impossible for WR Starkey to be stopped, the score at half-time, 47-13. Despite attempts from KG’s Cameron Stanley (25 points) and big 3’s by James Zimmerman (21 points), the team was ultimately never able to recover. With big slams from Chris Hill, and CJ Leslie displaying his undeniable star power through big drives to the basket and elevation, WR Starkey was able to breeze through this game with a final score, 73-53.

This game saw Team Navy struggling in the first quarter where Team Duhon was able to have a considerable lead starting off the game. However, it wasn’t long before Team Navy got into their rhythm and was able to catch up, making the first game of the night and extremely exciting one to watch. Team Duhon’s Hayward Fain was the king of assists has he constantly met Mason Plumlee and Anthony Greenup under the basket. Greenup, once again showed off his Harlem Globetrotters skills as he dropped 24 points of layups and dunks in the paint. Team Navy’s Andre McCollum was the star of the night has he contributed a total of 27 points and really surged ahead in the third quarter, where Team Navy was able to bring the score within three points. The combination of Rashawn Page, Charles Ward, and McCollum allowed Team Navy to slightly stay ahead of Team Duhon in the final two minutes and in the end, Team Navy was able to capture the victory with a score of 68-64. This was the first loss in the regular season for Team Duhon, however with a record of 8-1, they are still number one, while Team Navy is still tied for second with Lucky 7.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Team KG’s James Zimmerman had five three’s in the final game of the night, and ended with a total of 19 points. Zimmerman, along with Charles Futrell and Brian Waters kept Team KG in the lead for most of the first half. However, the newly created team, Dreamworks, came storming back, closing the gap with a great run. Fans got to enjoy CJ Leslie for a second time as he was tremendous once again in the paint, demonstrating his elevation with a powerful reverse slam. Rashawn Page definitely helped out offensively for Dreamworks and contributed 19 points to the board. Dreamworks kept a slight lead for the fourth quarter until the last minute. With 13.1 seconds left in the game, and Dreamworks down by one, Rashad Williams came to the free throw line and made one of his two shots. That was enough to tie the game, and Team KG was unable to score again, sending the game into overtime. There was minimal scoring in the two-minute overtime, but after a couple of free throws from CJ Leslie and Rashawn Page each, Dreamworks wins with a final score of 67-65. See you next week for a complete indulgence into great basketball as the regular season begins to close and the tournament gets ready to start up! Check back at www.ncproam.com for all the tournament info: standings, dates, and times!

In the second game, big men Mike Bell of Team PJ Tucker and Miles Plumlee of E-Net showed their versatility as they shot and made three-pointers, heavy dunks, and pull-up jump shots. For E-Net, Plumlee was dynamic in the paint, getting most offensive and defensive rebounds, and with the help of Farnold Degand’s 13 points, was able to keep his team right in line with the opponent for a majority of the game. In the most exciting moment of the contest, Team PJ Tucker’s Jarrett Johnson got a defensive rebound, and with Miles Plumlee in front of him, drove to his team’s basket, came down the lane, cupped the ball in his right arm, and dunked it with one hand between the arms of Plumlee. This surprised the entire gym and everyone was on their feet. After the empowering dunk, Team PJ Tucker was in control for the entire fourth quarter and finished the game with a score of 80-66.

In game one of the night, WR Starkey demonstrated excellent defense as CJ Leslie controlled the paint with countless rejections. Ryan Kelly was amazing offensively, as he spun in the lane, drove to the basket, or made one of his many jump shots. Kelly ended with 25 points for WR Starkey. Meanwhile, Derrick Wiley of Team Hendricks put up 23 points of his own, and had an incredible breakaway side-swoop-to-the-hoop drive. Hendrick’s David Noel was not afraid to pull-up in the face of defenders, and he contributed many points to the board himself. With 7.3 seconds left in the game, Wiley had a strong and-1 play, bringing his team up by two. And although he missed the free throw, Corey Watkins of WR Starkey was unable to successfully inbound the ball to his team, and Hendricks left with the 59-57 victory.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

In a night full of incredible match-ups, game four did not disappoint as Team Duhon went head-to-head with WR Starkey. For most of the first half, Team Duhon, led by vocal and assist leader Chris Duhon, had a pretty good lead on WR Starkey and it seemed as though it might be a blowout. However, when that third quarter hit, WR Starkey gave the only undefeated team in the league a little scare. CJ Leslie was AMAZING…AMAZING. He had countless impressive dunks, spin moves, steals, and 16 points as his teams leadings scorer. On the other side, Harlem Globetrotter’s Anthony Greenup definitely showed off his moves with an impossible one-handed reverse dunk. Out of his 20 points, 18 were probably from dunks alone. This game also employed a long distance shoot out: Rasheed Wright (six-three pointers) and Hayward Fain of Team Duhon matched up against Bo Ingram and Tyree Graham of WR Starkey. Each of these players had 14 or more points. Although a close game in the end, WR Starkey had to result to fouling the other team in order to gain more time, and with Team Duhon being a great free throw shooting team they win 89 to 80. Both teams put up amazing effort and persistence, but Team Duhon has undeniable chemistry that allowed them to win this game, and all the games before it. Keep up with this team to see if they remain undefeated on the road to the tournament!

In what would be the second close game of the night, Game 3 was a display of immense passion compared to any game you’ve ever seen. Lucky 7’s Jose Frias was one of the main offensive contributors, assisted by Chris Lightner down low and Charles Ward as the big man under the basket with frequent dunks and rejections. With Jabyron Wilson also making his presence known, this team seemed unstoppable and led a majority of the game, but E-net said "not so fast". With Farnold Degan as the all-around contributor with follow-ups under the basket and points outside the perimeter and help from Kyle Singler in the paint, the team began to slowly make a comeback. The score gap began narrowing at the end of the third quarter, but it was the last two minutes of regulation that the score eventually became tied. With repeated big three pointers from Chris Mayshack and a big AND 1 from KJ Holmes, E-net gained and kept the lead, winning 55-50.

The second game of the night remained close in score until the last seconds of regulation, eventually going into OVERTIME! Each team answered each other to make this game a fierce competition. Team Hendricks’ Derrick Wiley had a great jump-shot and led in offensive rebounds, acting as the finisher for the team. Dupree Hall also contributed offensively, with help from David Noel’s hard drives to the basket. Equally, PJ Tucker’s reverse spin-up and steal in addition to Tyree Graham’s efforts in the paint and outside of the perimeter allowed Team PJ Tucker to compete just as intensely. But it was a big shot by Hendricks’ Derrick Wiley and a following foul charged to Tucker’s Julius Mays that sent the game into overtime. The teams also remained tit-for-tat during overtime, but the last 35 seconds were the passionate part of the game. Both teams had turnovers in the last few seconds and it was anybody’s game. PJ Tucker got the ball with about twelve seconds left and stalled until the clock said 0.05 then he drove to the right side of the court and pulled up a beautiful fade-away, that had the crowd standing on their feet. After everyone heard "swish", the gym erupted in cheers and Team PJ Tucker captured the victory, with a 67-65 win over Hendricks.

In the first game of the night, GBMS welcomed back star CJ Wilkerson, who was out for a couple of games, however it was David Best who once again showed up for his team in a forceful way. He had a total of 21 points and showed no fear as he drove to the basket and drew fouls to keep his team in the game. On the other side, Charles Ward single-handedly made this game an entertaining one to watch. He had a total of 22 points and most came from unbelievable dunks and beautiful pull ups. With the help of Andre McCollum’s 17 points and Rashawn Page’s 14, Team Navy was able to capture the win. Unfortunately for GBMS, they garnered another loss, as the final score was 58 to 65.

Friday, July 24, 2009

This game probably holds the record for least points scored in the first quarter. Both teams were tied at 4 with one minute left in the first quarter of the game; however soon after that Team KG exhibited incredible teamwork and led every minute in regulation. James Zimmerman flexed his range from way, way down town over the hand of E-Net’s Kyle Singler. Zimmerman had six three-pointers in the game that definitely helped his team score the victory. It seemed like baskets just weren’t falling for E-Net. NC State’s Tracy Smith had many looks, but most of his shots would not go in, and Team KG was always there for the rebound. E-Net’s defense lacked its usual spunk and Miles Plumlee’s 22 points were not enough to win. There was a great effort by Team KG in their 61-50 win over E-Net. See you next Tuesday for more amazing basketball and be sure to vote in the poll to the right for your favorite player in the league. Your vote will help us determine the MVP at the end of the tournament. Also, please be advised that the Chris Smith listed in the poll is actually Chris Hill of Laurinburg Prep!

With the once again absence of the “Carolina Connection,” Dreamworks was forced to create a virtually whole new team. Luckily the “Dream Team,” wasn’t lacking in the star area. NC State’s Julius Mays was a key offensive contributor, assisted by big threes from Larry Johnson. Matt Sossamon was a major offensive player in the paint for the team and Mason Plumlee, in his second game of the night, was a necessary defender under the basket, awing the crowd with big finishes. Even this well-put-together team couldn’t completely stop WR Starkey. CJ Leslie ran hard drives to the basket and even contributed a couple threes and alley-oops. But it was Ryan Kelly who was the star of this game, serving as an “all purpose” player. He displayed the agility of a point guard with cross-ups, ran a couple pull-up jumpers, and didn’t disappoint with some amazing grand slams. Because of this team’s showmanship, WR Starkey was able to gain the 84-81 win.

The score for both teams yo-yoed throughout the entire second game. It began close, as both teams answered each other. When Team Duhon’s John Scheyer or JJ Miller would make big threes, Hendricks’ Steven Rush or JAmes Crowder would immediately follow with plays of the same. During the third quarter, Team Duhon seemingly began to pull away with help from Mason Plumlee’s big dunks and blocks down low. However, Hendricks began asserting themselves and closing the score gap thanks to Derrick "Caveman" Wiley and his frequent points outside of the perimeter. But it was a huge three by Hayward Fain that put Team Duhon back in the lead, and Hendricks was never able to recover, giving Team Duhon a 95-90 victory, remaining undefeated.

In the first game of the night, GBMS only had six players present, which meant that most didn’t get the “breather” they needed. Despite the lack of subs, GBMS played incredibly hard and kept the score extremely close throughout most of the game. Both David Best of GBMS and PJ Tucker of Team PJ Tucker had the one of their best games, dropping 20 and 23 points respectively. Cooper Hall of Team PJ Tucker had back-to-back demolishing rejections down in the paint that had the crowd saying “oooh”. Unfortunately, towards the end of the last quarter, the players from GBMS looked a little tired and Team PJ Tucker took advantage and increased the margin of points. But don’t get weary just yet! Somehow finding some energy, GBMS was able to bring the score within 3 points with 15 seconds left, and had to result to fouling in order to gain more time. Tyree Graham of Team PJ Tucker made his free throws and GBMS did not have enough time to tie the game. In the end, Team PJ Tucker wins with a score of 82 to 75.

This game went head-to-head for the entire event, until the last minute. Both teams hustled on defense, dived for loose balls, and showed out on offense! On E-Net, there was amazing teamwork between NC State’s Fanold Degand and Tracy Smith, and Duke’s Kyle Singler and Miles Plumlee. Each contributed greatly on the offensive end, but also showed extreme effort on defense. For Team Hendricks, Steven Rush and Chris Hill were two standout players, with Rush contributing 26 points, and Hill with 17 points of his own. The game remained close throughout most of its entirety, until Casey Peters of Team Hendricks made a couple of free throws late in the fourth quarter, bringing the score to 60-62 with 1:20 left on the clock. Then Steven Rush made beautiful back-to-back three’s in crunch time, bringing his team up by 8. In the end, Team Hendricks endured and gained a win with the final score, 64 to 72

What began as a blow-out remained as a blow-out for the entirety of game 3. Despite the gallant effort from David Best down low and Milton Chavis’ big 3’s, GBMS was unable to stop Team Duhon’s rhythm. Hayward Fain demonstrated his hops with repeated dunks, Mason Plumlee asserted himself as the big man with huge rejections and follow-ups, and JJ Miller continued to wow the audience with sequential three-pointers. Anthony Greenup was a huge finisher under the basket, and John Scheyer contributed both outside the perimeter and in the paint. With this unstoppable force, Team Duhon breezed through the game with a win, 97-49.

Throughout the entire second game, the lead for Team Navy was consistent. Jawad Williams was the go-to man for Navy, finishing down low with inside help from Rashawn Page. But what was key in this Navy victory was the team’s high school presence. Latrell Royster made back to back deep 3’s and Miykael Faulcon made his presence known with a big rejection. Despite Team Navy’s domination, WR Starkey’s determination did not waver. Bo Ingram, assisted by CJ Leslie, was a key offensive player for the team, successfully bringing the ball down the court and shooting from the perimeter. Aside from Ryan Kelly’s occasional point guard moves and control under the basket, Navy pulled away with the win, 74-59.

In the first game of the night, Team KG was definitely on top of their game. James Zimmerman had six three’s to help his team remain in the lead for the first three quarters. Team KG was leading at halftime and played with more spunk than Lucky 7 was, at first. Finally, in the fourth quarter, Courtney Fells of Lucky 7 got busy, hitting two threes at two different buzzers, and shifting the ball down to the post where Jabryon Wilson demolished the basket. In the final minute, Lucky 7 was able to slightly pull away and score the 70-66 victory. Both teams played excellent basketball, and this game definitely got the juices flowing and the adrenaline pumping for the rest of the night.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

We are used to seeing JamesOn Curry take over for his team, Lucky 7. However, in the final game of the night, it was all about Courtney Fells. In less than a minute, Fells took the alley-oop from Curry in for a power slam, then turned around and swished a beautiful three-pointer on the next play, had a startling and-1 play right after that, and then made a break-away dunk. This man was on fire tonight! He ended with 18 points as the lead scorer for Lucky 7. Lucky 7 quickly took control of the game, until GBMS fought back in the fourth quarter. GBMS definitely had great help from Landon Clement and Taron Downey. Clement had 23 points to end the night and fought hard to bring his team back within five points with about a minute left. In the end, however, Lucky 7 kept control and gained another victory with a score of 75-70. Unfortunately for GBMS, this is their fifth loss of the season.

What began as a blow out during game 3 of the night, eventually somewhat narrowed its margin by the end of regulation. Despite a huge rejection and power slam from CJ Leslie and Ryan Kelly attempting to finish plays for WR Starkey, Team Duhon led by 15 at the half. During what maintained itself as a slow game, Hayward Fain and John Scheyer led offensively for Team Duhon and awed the crowd with killer crossovers and raining three-pointers. WR Starkey was never truly given a chance to make a comeback and Team Duhon pulled away with the win, 69-60. Team Duhon remains undefeated!

The return of Cleveland Cavalier Jawad Williams seemingly silenced the also returning “Carolina Connection,” at the beginning of the second game. Williams was one of Team Navy’s main offensive contributors with a strong presence under the basket, allowing Team Navy to be up by 10 at the half. But quickly, Dreamworks said "not so fast"! “Big Slim” John Henson along with “Big Smooth” Ed Davis were defenders down low, while Justin Watts and Dexter Strickland maintained the team’s authority along the perimeter. By the fourth quarter, Dreamworks had closed the gap and the last few minutes of the game were close. Andre McCullon of Team Navy was an aggressive scorer towards the end of regulation, and what seemed like an answer for Dreamworks was soon lost. Given the opportunity to tie the game in the last seconds, John Henson missed two vital free throws, but Ed Davis quickly answered with a huge power slam. However McCullon was fouled in the last 24 seconds, allowing team Navy the win, 81-79.

The new and improved Team PJ Tucker put on a dynamite show in the first game of the night. Mike Bell led his team with 17 points, while PJ Tucker himself added 14 points of his own. Tucker had a show-stopping self-assisted dunk over the top of defenders, while big man Bell made his presence known with nice pull-ups around the perimeter and strong moves down low. Justin Leemow of Team KG kept his team in the game with 17 points. He was great offensively and had continuous rejections on the defensive end. Meanwhile, Jeremy Harn had a couple of strong power slams in the post. However, the massive talent on Team PJ Tucker kept Team KG from ever gaining the lead. The final score: 64 to 48. This marks the second win in a row for Team PJ Tucker who began the season on a losing streak!

Friday, July 17, 2009

In the third and final game of the night, Team KG and E-Net went head-to-head for the entire 40 minutes in regulation. Despite their recent losses, Team KG exhibited extreme energy and teamwork as they hustled after every ball and played amazing defense, even against talent such as Kyle Singler and Miles Plumlee. Plumlee had a great night, demonstrating his shooting range with back-to-back threes and a sweet jumpshot right after that. The game was tied with 20 seconds left, until Damien Humphrey of Team KG broke through the defense and scored a lay-up, bringin his team in the lead. The ball quickly got to the other end of the court and Miles Plumlee of E-Net had a chance to take the lead again, but missed his dunk…the buzzer sounded and Team KG made up from their almost 40 point loss last night to beat E-Net 48-47.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The first game of the night produced a win for Team PJ Tucker—their very first win of the summer season despite all of their talent. Team PJ Tucker looked like they were tired of losing and they definitely showed all their amazing skills as PJ Tucker, Tyree Graham, Mike Bell, and CJ Williams all contributed greatly. Team Navy, led by Andre McCollun with 31 points, also played an amazing game of basketball. The dynamic duo of McCollun and Rashawn Page kept their team in the game, however in the end Team PJ Tucker came out on top with a final score of 65 to 60.

What was predicted to be a repeat team Dreamworks blowout, turned out to be anything but. Lucky 7 led by a considerable number during the first half, with most of its points attributed to Chris Lightner, who was seemingly on fire with his frequent 3-pointers. JamesOn Curry also contributed offensively, with big man Simon Harris as the defensive counterpart. Despite a huge alley-oop by Lightner and a sexy crossover from Courtney Fells, Dreamworks’ determination was unstoppable. Although for the second night in a row missing the “Carolina Connection,” the team’s drive was evident. Rashawn Page took many offensive risks, and Will Bunton served as the finisher for the team. But it was Chris Hill that single-handedly made Dreamworks a contender in the competition. Acting as the team’s savior, it was a difficult play and the following free throws that allowed Dreamworks to make a comeback. Unfortunately Hill’s effort wasn’t enough, and Lucky 7 earned the last minute victory, score 73-71.

The last game of the night was also the second blow out of the night with Team Duhon leading by as many as 40 points for most of the second half. The first half ended with a score of 58 to 30, with Team Duhon clearly taking control of the game. JJ Miller was in one word: AMA ZING. He had plenty of assists, plenty of points, and plenty of adrenaline. The way he would shoot right in a defender’s face without hesitation was incredibly admirable. He got help from big man Mason Plumlee who showed that he had some ball-handling skills too, as he crossed defenders al l the way to the basket to stuff the ball in their faces. In the first half, it seemed that only Charles Futrell and Leon Frazier of Team KG were alive, however stand-out player from last summer, James Zimmerman, finally woke up in the second half and delivered a couple of early baskets and a strong rejection on the defensive end. However, with wonderful plays like a rejection, steal, and slam from Team Duhon’s Hayward Fain and Anthony Greenup, Team KG had no hope. The final score in a great performance from Team Duhon: 97 to 59.

Game 3 was quite the opposite from the previous game of the night, with the win a close one. WR Starkey’s Corey Watkins was a key offensive contributor, with Ed Davis as a defensive balance, guarding under the basket. Jerry Stackhouse made his presence known with a harsh block and CJ Leslie fired up the crowd with a dunk over Marcus Melvin. But it was imperative teamwork that won this one for Lucky 7. Jose Frias and JamesOn Curry led in offensive plays, with help from big man Simon Harris down below. A huge 3-pointer in the last 2 seconds from Courtney Fells sealed the deal, with a final score 72-71, Lucky 7.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

To say that game 2 was a blow out is an understatement. With team Dreamworks missing the “Carolina Connection,” team Hendricks was able to completely dominate. Despite attempts from Dreamworks’ Will Bunton, Marquez Jones and 15 points from lead scorer Bryan Burrell, Hendricks earned a victory with ease. Derrick Wiley was the lead offensive player for team Hendricks with 28 points, and Chris Hill earned 24 of his own. This win determined early, the final score was 93-66.

Once again, GBMS failed to score a victory, however they did play very well, especially with outstanding performances from David Best and Landon Clement. Clement had a couple of easy-looking three’s and Best’s dynamic job in the paint kept his team alive against the talented E-Net. E-Net played very great defense, especially from Duke’s Kyle Singler, but Tracy Smith stole the show! He had a total of 26 points and was able to score from outside the perimeter and from right around the basket. With Smith and help from other players, such as Miles Plumlee with massive reverse dunks, E-Net achieved the 76-66 victory.

What an amazing game! There was still a big crowd who stayed late for the 9 pm game, probably due to stars such as Ed Davis, Mason Plumlee, and Bo Ingram playing in the final game of the night. Both teams were outstanding, where WR Starkey led for most of regulation, until the fourth quarter where Team Hendricks fought back diligently. Even with “Big Smooth” Ed Davis hitting unusual outside jump shots, Team Hendricks brought the score to a 54-all tie with 3 minutes left. The teams were neck-and-neck while Steven Rush of Team Hendrcks hit a three-pointer with 30 seconds left to raise his team to a score of 65-62. However, when WR Starkey got the ball back, Bo Ingram was fouled in the act of shooting a three-pointer, went to the free throw line and made all three of his shots, tying the score again. 65-all saw the end of regulation, bringing the game into a two-minute overtime. Each team showed incredible hustle, diving after every loose ball and playing hard-core defense, but Chris Hill of Team Hendricks scored a lay-up after Ed Davis and Bo Ingram made a couple free throws to tie the game again, which sent both teams into sudden death (double overtime), where the first team to score 5 points wins the entire game. In sudden death, Ed Davis made a three-point play and CJ Leslie had an explosive dunk at the end to seal the deal. After an amazing game of basketball to end the night, WR Starkey barely wins with a 77-72 victory in sudden death.

Even the new addition of Charlotte Bobcat Raymond Felton wasn?t enough for team GBMS to deliver a victory. Despite Nick Chaston's nice jumpshot and a high energy dunk from David Best (resulting in a technical foul), the 'Carolina Connection' proved too much to restrain. Seemingly learning from past defeats, this star-studded team successfully reaped the benefits of wonderful team work. Dexter Strickland led the team in scoring and showmanship with a total of 18 points and was helped with some excellent assists from Leslie McDonald. John Henson was the main defensive contributor with frequent rejections and Justin Watts sealed the deal with a huge alley-oop in the last few seconds of the game. Final score, team Dreamworks 69, team GBMS 60.

Game 2 of the night began as a blow out. During the first half, team E-net had a sizeable lead. Player KJ Holmes reigned threes, while big man Myles Plumlee served as the main defensive presence for the team. Despite two missed dunks, Plumlee was the finisher for the team, even crossing up the opponent and completing key plays. However, at the end of the second half team Navy seized the lead. Charles Ward was a power defensive contributor, but it was Andre McCullon that was the lead scorer with 18 points. A big three-pointer in the last few seconds of the fourth quarter sealed the win for team Navy, 59-56.

The first game of the night clearly set the tone for all of the other games. Both teams gave incredible energy as JamesOn Curry and Courtney Fells of Lucky 7 proved to be standout players. The game showed amazing hustle by Chris Hill of Team PJ Tucker on both the defensive and offensive ends of the court. When this kid takes control of the game, he is unstoppable! But it wasn't until Chris Lightner of Lucky 7 performed a show-stopping, self-assisted dunk that the game really got rolling. The crowd was on their feet, especially after both Courtney Fells and Marcus Melvin demolished the basket with two powerful dunks of their own. Unfortunately, even with amazing players, Team PJ Tucker just could not score a victory. They remain winless after Lucky 7's 67-52 win.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

If you missed the last game of the night, then I feel sorry for you! Game four, between Dreamworks and E-Net, was a show-stopping, star-studded, nail-biting event. The “Carolina Connection” made up of Justin Watts, John Henson, and Leslie McDonald, was completely unrestrained and ruthless. McDonald brought the ball down the court, shaking up defenders and either shifted the ball out to Watts who hit most of his three’s or shifted it to the paint where Henson just TOOK OVER, leaping like a frog over defenders to the basket. I have never seen so many dunks in one basketball game, by one player! The three made a combined 39 points out of Dreamworks’ total 53 points. It seemed like the “Carolina Connection” was unstoppable, however E-Net held on, making this an extremely close game down to the final seconds. Thanks to Tracy Smith’s diligence and some vital free throws from KJ Holmes, E-Net led by 3 points with less than 10 seconds left on the clock. Leslie McDonald took it to the other end of the court and scored a three-pointer from downtown to tie the game, but E-Net quickly got the ball back, and was fouled in the act of shooting. E-Net made one of two freethrows, but that was enough to score the win! The final score of 54 to 53, just goes to show that persistence can overcome star power. It was a tremendously exciting game, the best of the league so far! Stay tuned until next week…we have 3 days of amazing basketball on Tuesday, WEDNESDAY, and Thursday! See you there!

What began as a level playing field, quickly progressed to single team domination. Both teams answered each other throughout the first quarter, Chris Hill of P.J. Tucker was an aggressive offensive player and Jarett Johnson also contributed offensively with a huge dunk of his own. The team’s lead scorer was CJ Williams with 15 points with help from Tyree Graham who effectively took the ball down the court. However, UNC’s Ed Davis of WR Starkey completely dictated the latter half of the game. He served as a multi-purpose player competing defensively, but also scoring a total of 18 points. Bo Ingram also assisted the team to a win with a final score 68-56.

The first half of game two remained at a fairly steady pace, with the score being tied at the half. Marcus Melvin led Team Lucky 7 with 13 points, and was assisted offensively by professional player JamesOn Curry. Player Chris Lightner also awed the crowd with a self-assisted alley-oop at the end of the first half. But it must have been some much needed rest for Team Duhon to prompt their rhythm, because they took the second half of the game with a vengeance. Mason Plumlee was not only the leading scorer on Team Duhon with 17 points, but he also was a dominant defensive force with several blocks. Show-stopping theatrics by Anthony Greenup and offensive assistance by Jon Schyer and Hayward Fain led Team Duhon to a victory, the final score 68-58.

Team KG met Team Navy in the first game of the night. Andre McCollun of Team Navy was amazing, sinking three’s from all around the perimeter, and proving once again that he is a dynamic player. Thanks to his 28 point effort, Team Navy led for most of the game and finished up 20 points with a score of 67 to 47. Charles Futrell of Team KG had incredible energy. He’s strong on the defensive and offensive end, hustling to block shots, and putting up 14 points on the board for his team. In the end however, Team Navy’s all-around high energy paired with high talent enabled them to seal this victory.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

These last two teams did not let the late hour slow them down. The game remained fast-paced from start to finish, giving the true fans that stuck around until the end, a great show! JamesOn Curry of Lucky 7 was AMAZING! He was able to go up and under the defenders with quick and swift movements all the way to the basket. No one could stop him! He ended with 19 points, while Lenny Daniels of Team Navy had 14 points and proved to be a dynamic player for his team. Daniels dunked one time, turned around and dunked again, and then had a reverse dunk right after. He's just one 6'8 player who knows how to take it to the hole! In the end, however, Curry took over and led his team to a 58-46 victory. Thanks for coming out tonight. See you on Thursday for more marvelous basketball!

Game three arguably provided the most entertaining and intense game of the night. Team P.J. Tucker’s game was marked by show-stopping theatrics, which included a tough block by C.J. Williams in the first quarter and a forceful dunk by Jarrett Johnson, making his presence known. Lead scorer Tyree Graham carried the team with frequent three-pointers, for a total of 19 points at the end of the game. Despite only a one point lead at half-time, Team Duhon pulled away in the second half. It was a block by Hayward Fain, followed by a dunk from Mason Plumlee that tied and changed the rhythm of the game. A partnership with Jon Schyer and Plumlee allowed for points outside the perimeter and under the rim. A huge dunk by Anthony Greenup awed the crowd, but it was a whopping 23 points from J.J. Miller that allowed team Duhon to pull away with a 76-69 win.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Teams God Bless My Success (GBMS) and WR Starkey equally competed in what would result in a close second game of the night. Game number two got off to a slow start, with points for both teams not reaching double digits by the end of the first quarter. Team lead scorer David Best served as a key player both offensively and as a cooperative teammate, his collaboration marked by his assistance with a jaw dropping alley-oop by Milton Davis. A power slam by CJ Wilkerson prompted the team rhythm during the close fourth quarter, but despite the valiant effort, Team WR Starkey’s game proved a little bit more powerful. Bo Ingram’s presence served too much for GBMS as he was the leading scorer for team WR Starkey, scoring an impressive 17 points along with offensive help by Ryan Kelly, and assistance under the basket from UNC’s Ed Davis. Within the last five seconds, WR Starkey pulled away with a 46-43 win.

Charles Futrell...Derrick Wiley...two UNSTOPPABLE players that stood out in today's first game. Charles Futrell of Team KG was amazing on both the offensive and defensive end, finishing with 23 points and a couple draw-dropping blocks against the opposing team. Derrick Wiley had 21 points of his own and hehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflped his team keep the score up by 20 points late in the third quarter. Although Futrell had a wonderful night, Team Hendrick's all-around great ball playing led them to a 59-45 victory.

Friday, July 3, 2009

In the previous three games, the margin of scores remained within 10 points at all times, however in this final game, Navy completely took over. Andre McCullon, Charles Ward, and Lenny Daniels led their team in domination against Team Hendricks, where Ricky Clemons got little help from the rest of the team. Clemons had 15 points of his own, but his effort was in vain when Team Navy led by about 20 points for a majority of the game. Team Navy performed with great chemistry and will probably be one of the top teams this season. Although Hendricks lost 64-75, they made some great plays and will unquestionably play some amazing basketball for the crowd to enjoy. Stay tuned for next week's games that include two new teams: Team Lucky 7 with NBA stars Marcus Melvin and Josh Powell and Team WR Starkey with host Jerry Stackhouse, Bo Ingram (last summer's MVP), Lance Thomas, and Ed Davis!

This game was full of both effortless three-pointers on the outside and loaded dunks on the inside. Dreamworks was complete with Carolina players, old and new. Alumni Sean May and Jackie Manuel led Dreamworks to a victory in their first game, along with the help of current Tar Heels Justin Watts and Leslie McDonald. On the other side, PJ Tucker and his team complained that they had no height, however they definitely held up their own, keeping it a close game most of the time, even leading by 10 points at one moment. Unfortunately, despite a tremendous effort from NC State's CJ Williams and Tucker's own 24 points, Dreamworks acquired the victory in the first game of the season. But don't be discouraged Team PJ Tucker fans, expect great things from both of these teams this summer season!

Game two of the night brought stand-out performances from Mason Plumlee (future Dukie) of Team Duhon and current Cleveland Cav's and UNC alumnus Jawad Williams. Plumlee dominated right around the basket, with death defying reverse dunks while Williams did the same, but also extended his game to knocking down shots from the perimeter. Thanks to help from stand-out players from last year like Hayward Fain, Team Duhon, was able to seal the deal and close the game with a 72-65 win. Plumlee ended with 16 points and Jawad Williams had 18 of his own.

The very first game of the 2009 S.J.G Greater NC Pro-Am Summer Basketball League definitely set the tone for the summer. Both Team God Bless My Success (GBMS) and Team KG brought high energy to the court and never-ending determination. The game was neck and neck until the very last buzzer- after double overtime! At the end of regulation, Vincent Davis of Team GBMS hit the three-pointer from downtown to tie the game at 45 sending the teams into their first overtime. Then, Ryan Kelly of Team KG had the chance to win the game at the end of the first overtime, but his three-point attempt rolled around the rim, calling for a second overtime. This time, according to Pro-Am rules, the first team that scores five points wins the entire game. In the end, Team KG came out with the win! Final score: 56-53.